The Zimbabwean Gardener Issue 15 Summer 2015/2016 Low res | Page 28

Butterflies

Flying flowers
By Lindsay Charters

Make your garden a butterfly paradise
A garden is most beautiful and peaceful when the air is filled with birdsong and gently
swooping butterflies. Without garden wildlife, flowers and shrubs always seem a little listless.
Many of us work hard at luring
butterflies into our gardens, but
incorrectly focus on planting
bushes that provide nectar for adult
butterflies. In reality, this is only a
small part of the formula necessary
in attracting these ‘flying flowers’
to become resident in our gardens,
instead of being occasional visitors.

Butterflies look for gardens
that will provide food for
their babies

Butterfly eggs hatch into larvae
(caterpillars). The caterpillars spend
their time consuming as much food as
possible before encasing themselves
in a self-woven cocoon. There they

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undergo metamorphosis, a physical
change, and emerge as butterflies a
few weeks or months later.
The caterpillar of each butterfly
species feeds on specific ‘host plants’.
Therefore, to get those butterflies to
breed in your garden, you will need to
provide the correct larval host plants.
Here are some common garden plants
that host several species of butterfly
larvae without sustaining too much
damage:

1. The Acacia karoo tree hosts many
species of butterfly larvae and is one
of the most valuable plants to have
in the garden. Butterfly larval species
that are attracted to this tree include
the Black-tipped Scarlet, Common
Scarlet and Dark-banded Scarlet.
2. Baleria species attract Pirate
(Catacroptera cloanthe) butterfly
larvae.
3. Brachystegia speciformis, more
commonly known as the Msasa tree,
attracts Nomad Dart (Andronymus
neander) butterfly larvae.
4. Let Couch grass (Cynodon dactylon)
grow to its full length, and it’ll become
a paradise for many species of
breeding butterflies, providing larvae
food as well as protection from wind.
It attracts the Dark Hottentot Skipper
(Gegenes pumilio) butterfly larvae.

Acacia karroo

Catacroptera cloanthe

Heliotrope